


Crimson and Gold

by thefaultinourstarscream



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Comfort/Angst, Kuroshitsuji II | Black Butler II, M/M, Romance, claude x sebastian
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-06
Updated: 2015-05-30
Packaged: 2018-02-20 02:10:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2411114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thefaultinourstarscream/pseuds/thefaultinourstarscream
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been a few months since Sebastian "killed" Claude Faustus. Somehow, he can't stop thinking about the other demon's death, and wonders why he's being so affected by it. But is Claude truly dead...?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Guilt

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is set just after the end of season 2. I am aware that Sebastian and Ciel left the manor, but I've chosen to change that and have them stay. Hope you enjoy! Next chapter will be up soon, hopefully.

How long had it been since that day? It must have been months by now, Sebastian thought to himself. Six months had passed since he had gripped that hateful demon blade and plunged it into the Trancy butler’s chest. He would’ve said he’d pierced him through the heart, but whether Claude had even had a heart or not was debatable. It should have been a simple task, really. It seemed simple enough. Sebastian had killed many people in his long life, too many to count, without remorse, without a second thought. Countless times he’d looked down to see his slender hands soaked and dripping with blood, and it had never bothered him one bit. He was a demon; that was just what they did. It was an easy enough concept to grasp. Why, then, was this other demon’s death still on his mind? It could simply be that Sebastian was less accustomed to killing his own kind. This was the conclusion he’d come to, anyway, as he was used to just slaughtering humans that got in his or his master’s way. Still, even though some time had passed, he could see those cold golden eyes staring blankly back at him. Lifeless.

Maybe the demon was just angry that killing Claude had not been the end. After the spider was out of the way, Sebastian should have been able to reclaim his master, but that was not how things had turned out. Far from it, the butler thought bitterly as he paced the mansion. Essentially, he had killed his fellow demon for nothing. Still, why did it matter to him? He should have been focusing his anger towards Ciel, the brat to whom he was now bound for the rest of his days. Yes, he was angry about that, of course he was. Perhaps if he had dealt with Claude sooner, his master’s soul would not have been snatched from him. This thought was not a comfort to Sebastian, though. If anything, it only angered him further. He was angry at Hannah, who was now nowhere to be found, at Alois, at his master…but more than anyone, at Claude. And not because of his interference. That was why he _should_ have hated Claude. But no; he hated the other demon for making him feel like this, even after he was gone. It infuriated him, but more than that, he didn’t understand it. Sebastian was never confused about anything. Ever. His lips were almost always turned up in a smug smile; a smile that was certain of everything. Not this. He was angry for all the wrong reasons, and those vile yellow eyes and that smooth monotone voice tormented him to no end. Sebastian’s brows furrowed in frustration, his blood red eyes narrowed. It was sickening. This guilt was sickening.

These ludicrous thoughts plagued his mind while he dusted a shelf, until something caught his eye. Something small and dark in the corner of the shelf. A spider. It scuttled forward, then stopped at the edge of the shelf, as if it were looking up at Sebastian. This spider seemed disturbingly like the one Sebastian had spotted at the Trancy manor. It couldn’t be, though. Still, the reminder of the other demon made Sebastian feel sick to his stomach. For a brief moment, he almost felt like picking it up, maybe to crush it between his gloved fingers. He grit his teeth, and flicked the creature aside with the duster. “I don’t have time for you now.” he said flatly, and continued his cleaning.

“My spectacles…”

Sebastian flinched as the dying voice of Claude echoed in his mind. No. He was gone. This was ridiculous. His teeth ground together angrily, fists clenching. Now he was hallucinating? Was there no end to Claude’s mockery even after death? He shook his head vigorously. No, this wasn’t Claude. It was his own mind.

“Leave me alone.” he hissed at nothing, turning on his heel and retreating to the roof to clear his head. Upon reaching the roof, he let out a long, slightly shaky sigh, bringing one hand up to rest against his forehead as if to try and silence his thoughts. You did what you had to, he told himself. Had it been the other way around, Claude would have felt no remorse killing him. Not one bit. He would have simply gazed down at Sebastian’s body, adjusted his glasses and walked off. The fact that Sebastian had actually given thought to what Claude would do just sickened him even further. He gazed out at the grounds of the manor, which were shrouded in darkness, lit only by the pale moonlight. Even that light was bleak, as the moon hid behind several dark clouds. Sebastian stared up at it, taking another deep breath. The moon had always had a calming effect on him, though its light was bleak. He scanned the gardens for intruders, and found none. He would have sensed them first anyway, and the young master was not so easy to kill now…as he’d found out himself. Everything seemed quiet, just the way Sebastian liked it. There was a slight chill in the autumn air, a gentle breeze delicately blowing through Sebastian’s hair. He closed his eyes, unclenching his fists. The memory wasn’t so strong now.

“That was quite rude, you know.”

Sebastian’s blood turned to ice. His eyes sprang open, and his breath caught in his throat. This voice wasn’t like the ones he usually imagined. This one sounded real, impossibly real. And it was now that he sensed an unbearably familiar presence behind him. He almost couldn’t bring himself to turn around. His hands curled into fists once again, and time seemed to stand still as he slowly turned around. If he had been human, he would have surely fainted.

“Good evening, Michaelis.”

Sebastian’s ruby eyes widened. Sure enough, there he was. His dark hair was lightly tousled by the wind, the moonlight reflecting off of his glasses and concealing the chilling orbs Sebastian knew all too well. His taller figure seemed to loom over Sebastian, but maybe that was due to how small Sebastian felt in this moment. Time didn’t seem to be moving at all. Claude’s scent was too strong and too real for this to be his mind playing tricks on him again.

“C…laude…” he managed to utter, the name coming out in a broken whisper. Claude’s expressionless face did not change. He tilted his head to the side a little.

“What’s the matter? Spider got your tongue?” he taunted, clearly enjoying every moment of Sebastian’s reaction. His face didn’t show it, but Sebastian knew him well enough to know this. This mockery… it caused the shock to drain out of him, and to be replaced with a burning anger in his chest. His fists were clenched so hard they were shaking, though he barely noticed. He refused to give Claude the satisfaction of asking him how he was alive, though it seemed Claude was going to tell him anyway. “I can see why you would be under the impression that you’d killed me. That was supposedly the demon blade that you so ruthlessly used on me.” he said in an eerily calm voice, taking a step towards the bewildered Sebastian. The footstep seemed to be a hundred times louder to Sebastian than it actually was. “I imagine it’s obvious to you now, though, that it wasn’t. The demon blade does exist, however, no demon knows its whereabouts.” So it had been a lie. That hadn’t been a fight to the death at all. Hannah was just the sheath to a damned near useless blade. It was almost laughable. _Almost._

“Why now?” Sebastian asked quietly. Claude’s eyes flickered questioningly, inviting Sebastian to elaborate. “Why wait until now to reveal yourself?” He kept his voice calm, holding back the blind fury that threatened to take hold of him. What Claude said next, though, made his blood boil.

“I wanted to see how you would react. And I must say, these last few months have been rather entertaining for me.” Claude spoke in his tauntingly calm voice. That did it. Sebastian’s eyes flashed brightly with rage as he lunged forward, swinging his fist towards the other demon’s face. However, he was so blinded by his anger that it didn’t occur to him that this was probably exactly how Claude expected him to act. In a split second, Claude was behind him, having taken hold of his arm by the wrist.

“Well well, reckless as always, I see.” He teased, causing Sebastian to let out a feral snarl. He broke free of Claude’s grip, taking hold of a silver knife and slashing at Claude with it. His accuracy was humiliatingly affected by his anger, and the blade only caught the side of Claude’s face. Claude lifted a strong hand to wipe away the blood, golden eyes calmly observing the stain on his glove. The corner of his mouth twitched up into a smirk, one that sent a shiver through Sebastian’s body. “I have to say, I didn’t much enjoy you flicking me off that shelf. I could have hurt myself, you know.” He taunted even further, his tone becoming more mocking by the second.

“Of course that was you, I should have known.” Sebastian spat lunging towards the taller demon once more. And once again, Claude was behind him, hand wrapped around his wrist. This time, he pressed up against Sebastian’s back, his grip tightening. Sebastian let out a low growl, struggling, but for some reason, he was only struggling half-heartedly. He knew this, and so did Claude. Why he wasn’t using his full strength was another question entirely. Claude’s eyes flickered with something Sebastian couldn’t read, as he leaned a little closer.

“I’ve been watching you, Sebastian.” He addressed the smaller demon less formally now, that smirk still making Sebastian sick with anger. He was humiliated. He had been torturing himself over this, and Claude had been alive all along, watching him, _laughing_ at him. He tried to move his arm again, but Claude’s grip tightened, painfully so. Sebastian’s eyes widened slightly at the softness of the spider’s voice when he spoke again. “I had no idea you would be so affected. I was often tempted to reveal myself sooner.”

“Don’t humiliate me. You’ve done that quite enough.” Sebastian glared at him, then looked in the opposite direction. He didn’t want to look into those eyes anymore. He felt as if Claude could see right through him, as if he could see his every thought just by looking at him. Claude must have sensed this. He slowly reached a hand up to Sebastian’s face, brushing his fingertips against his cheek. For some absurd reason, the smaller demon almost leaned into the touch, before he realised what he was doing. Eyes burning furiously, he slapped Claude’s hand away, taking several steps away from him. “You…you are truly sickening.” He hissed, though his skin still tingled from where Claude’s fingers had touched him. The smirk wiped off of Claude’s face, replaced by his usual unreadable expression.  Sebastian stared at him in confusion. Why had he reached out to touch him? _Why?_ Was this more of his cruel joke?

“It wasn’t my intention to hurt you.” Claude said plainly. Sebastian froze for a moment, then scoffed.

“Hurt me? Don’t be ridiculous, Faustus. You could never hope to hurt me.” He snapped. Claude’s harsh eyes softened a fraction, and he took a step closer, slowly, to prevent Sebastian from backing away. Sebastian looked into his eyes, not knowing what he was seeing. Those yellow hues were not as piercing now, though they still seemed to burn into him. Why…?

“You’re a terrible liar.” He took a few more steps forward, until Sebastian was within reach again. Sebastian did not back away. Yes, he had been hurting. But of course he wouldn’t admit that, and certainly not to Claude. Once again, strong yet strangely gentle fingertips brushed against his pale cheek. He flinched a little, but did not slap the hand away this time. His mind was screaming at him to stop this, to pull away now. But he didn’t. Instead, he hesitantly leaned into Claude’s palm, a shaky sigh escaping his lips. This shouldn’t have been as comforting to him as it was. His eyes flickered up to meet Claude’s from under his lashes. Claude looked back at him, a hint of something in his eyes. Sadness, was it? Or something else? Unable to break away, Sebastian found himself placing his slightly smaller hand over Claude’s hand, holding it against his cheek. Claude’s lips twitched up into a brief smile; then he slowly leaned closer to Sebastian. “Do you still want to cut me, Sebastian?” He spoke slowly, letting his cool breath tickle Sebastian’s face. Sebastian smirked, his eyes glowing softly.

“Yes, actually. I find you rather infuriating.” He said with a chuckle. Claude slowly leaned even closer, causing Sebastian’s eyes to widen for a split second, before they became heavy lidded. He knew he shouldn’t be giving in, but Claude’s power over him was too great. He shivered as he felt Claude’s breath against his lips. He slowly closed his crimson eyes, leaning in to close the distance…

“I knew it.” whispered Claude, sounding satisfied.

And then he was gone.

Sebastian looked around feverishly, his breath still caught in his throat, heart still hammering against his chest. Claude was nowhere to be seen. Sebastian knew what a hold Claude had over him, and now Claude did too. Sebastian had been about to completely give in. Had Claude just been doing this to humiliate him? No, thought Sebastian. He had seen something in those dead eyes of his. Dropping his head so that his hair covered his face, a smirk spread across his lips, and a bitter laugh echoed out across the roof from him.

He knew one thing for certain. He was going to make that damned spider pay.


	2. What are you thinking?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ciel notices something different about his butler. Meanwhile, Sebastian wants to confront Claude about his behaviour the previous night.

“I knew it.”

Those words circled round and round in Sebastian’s head for the rest of the night and the next day. Every time he pictured the scene, those cold golden eyes, those pale lips so close to his, he felt his stomach tie itself into a knot. He still had not forgiven Claude for pretending to be dead, and for so long, too. It would take him even longer to forgive the other demon for watching him the whole time too, let alone concealing his presence so Sebastian hadn’t been able to sense him. Even for a demon, Claude was a tricky one. It was hard to tell if he had meant what he’d said before, or if this was all just a cruel joke to make the raven’s life even more of a misery. Well, thought Sebastian, I have always thought that every game must have its thrills. This is no different.

“Sebastian! Are you listening to me?”

Sebastian’s thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice. His young master, Ciel, was sitting at his desk, fingers steepled under his chin as he eyed his butler suspiciously. Sebastian cleared his throat discreetly and collected himself.

“Yes, my lord. My apologies.” The small boy raised his eyebrows, looking mildly amused. This was never a good sign.

“It’s rare for you to drift off like that. What were you daydreaming about, hm?” Since becoming a demon, Sebastian had noted that Ciel had become considerably more…bratty. Of course he was more arrogant than ever; he had control over Sebastian for all eternity now. Sebastian didn’t like it one bit, but he had no choice but to accept it. He stood in silence, avoiding answering his master’s question. He gracefully cleared away the empty tea set, and was about to leave the room when he heard the young master chuckle. Glancing over his shoulder, he gave a questioning look.

“Is something the matter, master?” Ciel smirked, tilting his head to the side as he continued to stare at Sebastian.

“The spider butler’s alive.” The mention of Claude sent a jolt through Sebastian, which he did his best to conceal. He forced his usual polite smile.

“Yes, I’m aware of that.” He said calmly. Ciel’s eyes narrowed, and he tilted his head to the other side, frowning.

“You don’t seem overly concerned. Aren’t you worried he’ll come after me again?” Sebastian could have laughed out loud at this. Ciel was toying with him. It was impossible for anybody to take Ciel’s soul now, and the boy damn well knew this. Little brat. He made a perfect demon.

“I doubt he’ll continue to pursue you, master. He was after your soul, which nobody can get to now. You may rest assured that he will not try and harm you.” Ciel simply made a little “hm” noise to acknowledge this. Sebastian wasn’t an idiot. He knew Ciel wasn’t either. It was obvious that Ciel was talking about Claude in order to get a reaction from him.  Well, Sebastian refused to give him that satisfaction. “Will that be all, master?” Ciel nodded and made a little dismissive gesture with his hand. Thankful, Sebastian turned to leave.

“I can smell him on you.”

Sebastian stopped in his tracks. Damn… Of course Ciel would be able to sense these things now. Claude’s scent was still strong from where he traced his fingertips across Sebastian’s face. He should have done something about that. The butler merely shot Ciel a cold stare from across the room.

“How unfortunate.” He spoke plainly, and left without another word.

Hastily walking away from the study, the demon let out an irritated sigh, stopping in front of a window once he was far away enough. His fiery eyes swept across the grounds of the manor, and he slowly brought his hand up to trace the spot Claude had touched. A small shiver passed through him, and he closed his eyes as he thought back to the soft feeling of his fingertips, the tenderness of his voice... Sebastian shook his head, tearing his hand away and pressing it against the window frame. This was absurd. Demons were supposed to be incapable of feeling things like this, weren’t they? Sebastian scoffed at himself. Some demon he was, he thought with a bitter smile. But he couldn’t deny the way Claude had made him feel. Claude was so difficult to read, though. Sebastian had been sure he’d seen _something_ in the other demon’s eyes, but he couldn’t tell what it was. This was frustrating, and Sebastian couldn’t stop thinking about the possibility that Claude felt nothing towards him at all, that he really was just toying with him. He wanted to go and confront him, but where was he nowadays? There was no reason for him to be at the Trancy manor anymore, and since he was more powerful than Sebastian, he could hide his scent better. Sebastian would never be able to find him. He rolled his eyes, resting his forehead against his other hand. This whole situation was ridiculous. He’d just have to try and push Claude from his mind as he went about the day.

This proved to be a lot more difficult than he’d first thought. He kept thinking he’d heard Claude speaking, then he could’ve sworn he saw him in the corner of the room. Was Claude watching him again, or could he really not control his thoughts? Right now, the latter seemed more likely.  Even the servants had noticed something different about Sebastian, much to his annoyance. Luckily he could just snap at them to get on with their work, so they didn’t seem to think anything of it. Still, if even _that lot_ could tell something was off… Sebastian sighed heavily, resting his head against the window again. That was when he saw him.

Claude was just standing outside by the fountain, seeming like he was searching for something. Then his eyes found Sebastian, and they stayed fixed on him. Sebastian took a step back in surprise, feeling as if Claude’s eyes were burning into him. He glared back, hurriedly making his way downstairs to meet him. When he got outside, though, Claude was nowhere to be seen. Sebastian stood where he was, wondering if he had just imagined the other demon’s presence again. Then he heard footsteps by the nearby trees, and he knew he wasn’t imagining this. Claude Faustus, I am going to kill you, he thought as he went towards the noise, brow twitching slightly with irritation. Despite being annoyed at the other demon, Sebastian felt almost relieved to be seeing him again, which just annoyed him even more. Damn him.

He reached a small clearing, and looked around. He could definitely sense Claude now, he was just hiding. “I know you’re there, Claude. Stop hiding.” He called out, a hint of irritation creeping into his voice. Some leaves rustled behind him, and before he knew what was happening, Claude was pressed up against his back again, hands sneaking over Sebastian’s sides. Sebastian gasped lightly, his first instinct to push Claude away. But of course, he didn’t. “Always so dramatic…” Sebastian mumbled, finding himself unable to keep a small smile from appearing on his face. Claude’s hands crept across his body, one slipping down to his hip, the other slowly running over his chest. The smaller demon shivered under the touch, resisting the urge to lean back against Claude. “Claude…why…?” he whispered, closing his eyes. Claude suddenly stopped and pulled back, frowning.

“Why?” He repeated, evidently confused. Sebastian turned to face him, demanding the truth.

“If this is all just to mock me, I must say it is in extremely poor taste.” Sebastian said coldly, looking Claude right in the eyes as he spoke. He needed answers. Claude raised an eyebrow slightly, and sighed.

“You truly believe that?”

“I don’t know, Claude. I don’t know what to believe.” Claude’s eyes seemed to almost grow dull at this. He reached out his hand towards Sebastian, but he gently pushed his hand away. Claude slowly tilted his head to one side, his expression once again impossible to read. Sebastian sighed heavily and frowned. “That’s exactly what I mean. I never know what you’re thinking. So I have no way of knowing why you’re doing all- all- _this!”_ Sebastian grumbled, folding his arms. More silence. Usually Claude had something to say by now. Sebastian shook his head, digging his fingers into his arms in frustration. “Don’t just stand there. Say something!” Sebastian raised his voice a little, feeling as if he were talking to a brick wall.  Claude just seemed to be watching him intently. Those eyes, burning into his skin again. Sebastian felt his face heating up in anger and something else he didn’t understand. “Claude! _Say_ something!” He was losing his temper. He was about to start shouting, when Claude took a few steps closer to him. Sebastian stepped away at first, then let him walk closer, raising an eyebrow in a questioning manner. Claude stopped just in front of the smaller demon, his eyes never once leaving him. Sebastian stared up at him, about to demand that he say something again, when Claude suddenly pulled Sebastian into his arms in a tight embrace. The smaller demon’s crimson eyes widened at the sudden proximity, his breath catching in his throat. “Claude- what..?” Claude just held him tighter, not showing any signs of letting him go. Sebastian struggled a little, before eventually giving in. Claude’s arms were strong, and strangely comforting. Sebastian inwardly kicked himself for thinking that, though only half-heartedly at this point. He understood what Claude was trying to say, without actually saying it out loud.

“Claude…” Sebastian murmured quietly, resting his head on Claude’s shoulder.

“Mm?” Claude pulled back to see Sebastian’s face, still holding him, gentler now. Sebastian looked up at him, and carefully mimicked how Claude had trailed his fingertips across his cheek. Much to Sebastian’s satisfaction, Claude closed his eyes, sighing softly and leaning into Sebastian’s hand. Sebastian couldn’t stop himself from grinning as he rubbed his thumb across Claude’s pale lips. Glistening eyes slowly opened again, and the spider ghosted his lips along Sebastian’s delicate jawline, causing Sebastian to sigh contentedly. A gasp escaped his lips as Claude flicked his tongue against the pale skin and moved his lips, agonisingly slowly, to brush against Sebastian’s neck. Sebastian shivered and discreetly bit his lip to keep himself quiet. He forgot all about this when he felt Claude’s tongue gradually trail along his neck, and a soft moan escaped his parted lips. This obviously pleased Claude, and he sucked lightly on that spot, eliciting another slightly louder moan from Sebastian.

“Claude.” Sebastian said his name quietly. Claude pulled away, looking into Sebastian’s eyes again.

“What is it?”

Sebastian gently cupped Claude’s face with both of his hands, slowly moving in closer. Claude’s eyes fluttered shut, as he gladly closed the gap between them and pressed their lips together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	3. Yielding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (First of all, sorry for the long delay, been busy with college work. Also, it's Ciel's birthday, so happy birthday Ciel!)  
> Sebastian gives in to Claude, finding himself more and more captivated by the devious spider demon.

If someone had come to Sebastian a few months ago and told him he’d end up falling for the demon he was currently fighting, Sebastian would have laughed. Yet here he was, with that very same demon.

Claude’s lips were surprisingly soft, as Sebastian had noted earlier. Claude’s lips moved gently with Sebastian’s, slowly but not hesitantly. Just savouring everything. Sebastian left his eyes half open; he wanted to see Claude’s face. His expression was one of complete serenity, Sebastian noted as he pulled Claude closer, wrapping his arms around his neck. Claude gave a satisfied sigh as his hands caressed their way down to Sebastian’s waist, resting on his lower back as he gradually deepened the kiss. His hands were so gentle yet certain of what they were doing. Strong, yet endearingly protective of the smaller demon. Their lips glided together as if they had been waiting to touch for a long time; and they had. Sebastian was so close to losing himself in this moment, but then a horribly familiar scene appeared in his head again. 

“My spectacles…” Blood streaking Claude’s face. Sebastian’s hands soaked in his blood. Claude felt Sebastian’s body suddenly stiffen, and he immediately pulled away, examining Sebastian’s face. “What’s the matter?” He spoke softly, eyebrows creased in concern. Sebastian just looked up at him for a few moments, before breaking away from Claude’s embrace. Claude didn’t try to stop him, he just watched in confusion. Sebastian turned away, clenching his fists. He couldn't look Claude in the eye. 

“I…tried to kill you, Claude. I thought I had.” Sebastian spoke through gritted teeth. Claude blinked several times in surprise, then took a step closer, though he didn't get too close. 

“I’m aware of that.” He said plainly. Sebastian shook his head, grinding his teeth in frustration. How could he be so flippant? How could he be here, kissing the man who tried to kill him?

“I don’t understand you. How can you be here, doing…doing this? When I-“

“Sebastian.” Claude said firmly. “We were fighting for the boy’s soul. We were crazed with hunger. You know that.”

“Even so…”

“Sebastian. Stop this.” Claude placed a hand on Sebastian’s shoulder, causing him to flinch. “Just stop. Stop blaming yourself.” Sebastian turned around to face him, his face the picture of bewilderment. 

“How can you say that when I-“

“Because I never once blamed you.”

Sebastian froze, his eyes growing wide in disbelief. He stared at Claude, as if searching him for answers. How? Why did he still want to be around Sebastian? Sebastian managed a small smile, avoiding Claude’s questioning eyes.

“I don’t understand you…” he said quietly. Claude took a few steps closer and gently lifted Sebastian’s chin with his thumb, forcing him to look at him. Sebastian tried to move away, but Claude’s hand held him in place. “What do you want, Claude?” He demanded. Claude just traced his thumb over Sebastian’s lips, making him repress a shiver.

“I want you.” He said simply. With that, he leaned in and kissed Sebastian again before he could say another word. Sebastian froze at first, then practically melted into the kiss, his arms sneaking up to tangle in Claude’s hair. He could try, but there was no way he could resist Claude, not anymore. And it seemed like the other demon couldn’t resist Sebastian either. Claude’s hands trailed down again to rest on the small of Sebastian’s back, pulling their bodies closer together as his mouth softly tugged on Sebastian’s bottom lip. Sebastian hummed in satisfaction, and without thinking he tugged on the strands of hair that were trapped between his fingers. Claude’s body became tense for a split second, and Sebastian was about to pull away when Claude let out a low groan into the kiss. Sebastian paused, realisation dawning on him, and he couldn’t help but smirk against Claude’s lips. He slowly traced Claude’s bottom lip with his tongue, while tugging at his hair again. He felt a shiver run through Claude’s body, and he bit down on Sebastian’s lip with a ragged breath. Just as Sebastian had thought. The smaller demon smirked, and Claude immediately regretted letting Sebastian find out his weakness. Well. Perhaps ‘regret’ was the wrong word, though he did feel slightly defeated. Sebastian sensed this, and chuckled, twirling a lock of Claude’s dark hair around his gloved finger. 

“So…if I were to do this…” he tugged lightly on that lock of hair, and Claude grit his teeth, “…over and over… would you be on your knees?” Sebastian lowered his voice, his eyes glowing softly. “Would you beg for mercy, Faustus?” Claude briefly closed his eyes, and when he opened them, they were gleaming an enticing shade of fuchsia, much like Sebastian’s. Sebastian was about to try and tease him further, but just as he was opening his mouth to speak, he found himself shoved against one of the stronger trees, which gave a loud crack under the strain. A low growl rumbled at the back of Claude’s throat. 

“Don’t push your luck, Michaelis,” Claude spoke harshly, in a tone that would have intimidated any human. But not Sebastian. It was all part of their little game. Graceful fingers wrapped around Claude’s tie, dragging the other demon closer, and Claude quickly closed the distance between their lips again. This kiss was different from before; it was bolder, more urgent, almost frenzied as the two demons seemed unable to keep their hands off of each other. Sebastian’s slender fingers inched back towards Claude’s hair, but the larger demon growled in warning, so Sebastian just wrapped his arms tightly around Claude’s back, lifting his hips up to rub against Claude’s. The friction caused both demons to shiver in pleasure, and Sebastian inhaled sharply as Claude moved down to practically assault his neck with rough kisses, if they could even be called that. They were more like bites, as if Claude was deliberately marking Sebastian as his. The thought sent another shiver through Sebastian’s body, and he moaned softly, his glistening eyes slowly closing.

“Claude…” Sebastian quietly said his name. Claude responded by loosening Sebastian’s tie and dragging his teeth across Sebastian’s pale collarbone. A bush rustled not too far from where the two demons were, and Sebastian’s eyes opened, darting around. “Claude, somebody’s coming-“ 

“Mm…” Claude hummed lowly in acknowledgement, though he didn’t stop. He trailed his lips back up across Sebastian’s (rather bruised) neck and let them glide along his jawline, quickly pulling Sebastian in for another kiss. Sebastian made a small noise of protest, though he couldn’t resist kissing back. He tried to speak in between kisses, as he heard whoever it was walking closer.

“Nn … Claude… no more…” Sebastian insisted weakly, half-heartedly pushing against Claude’s chest. He didn’t want to stop, and evidently neither did Claude, but nobody could see them like this. “Claude, please…” This came out as more of a whine than anything else, much to Sebastian’s embarrassment. Claude’s wicked hands made their way down Sebastian’s chest, and it seemed as if he wasn’t going to stop. They were going to be caught for sure, thought Sebastian. Claude grasped at Sebastian’s slim waist, his hands working their way lower still. And lower. Sebastian was practically trembling in anticipation under his touch, and he bit his lip as Claude’s fingertips brushed against his hips, trailing along, until…

Suddenly, Claude wasn’t touching him anymore. He was gone. Damn him… Sebastian blinked a few times as he caught his breath, eyebrows creased in annoyance. He had completely given in to Claude yet again, and he had been completely fine with that. The damn spider demon was probably laughing at him now. Still, part of him hoped that he would be getting another visit from Claude sooner rather than later. “Urgh… how pathetic…” Sebastian grumbled to himself. The demon shakily tightened his tie, trying to calm his mind as he straightened his clothes out. He would surely get Claude back for reducing him to such an unseemly state.

At that moment, a familiar figure skipped into the clearing, his emerald green eyes sparkling as he tilted his head to the side in his usual inquisitive manner.  
“Mister Sebastian? Who were you talking to just now?” asked Finny, utterly clueless.


	4. Missing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claude has vanished yet again, and Sebastian is left with nothing but his own thoughts to occupy him.

“Mister Sebastian? Didn’t you hear me?” Finny stared at the butler questioningly. He had been acting strangely over the last few days, and none of the servants could figure out what was going on. Of course, they didn’t ask, since they knew Sebastian would just scold them. Sebastian cleared his throat discreetly, and tried to appear as nonchalant as possible.

“I heard you just fine. I wasn’t talking to anybody, Finny. You must be hearing things,” he said plainly, quickly pulling his collar up to cover the marks on his neck. But Finny had already spotted them.

“Sebastian, you’re hurt!” he exclaimed, rushing over to him worriedly. Sebastian shook his head. How careless of him. 

“I am not hurt. It’s nothing, Finny, now get back to work.”

“But-“

“I said get back to work!” Sebastian snapped, glaring at the gardener. Finny seemed dumbstruck for a moment, before muttering an apology and scampering off back to the gardens. Once he was out of earshot, Sebastian sighed heavily and leaned with his back against the tree, closing his eyes as he tried to process what had just happened. Once it had sunk in, he wished he could forget it. He wished he could forget how Claude’s lips and hands felt against his skin, and how he had wanted, no, craved more. Sebastian let out another sigh, utterly disgusted with himself. The demon had never depended on anyone, not once. Demons did not grow attached to others, it just didn’t happen. Even so, Sebastian found himself wishing that Claude would come back now that Finny was gone. He stood there with his arms folded and opened his eyes, glancing around the clearing. No sign of the other demon. “Claude?” he called out quietly, his voice sounding pathetically weak. No, Claude was gone, without giving Sebastian any indication of when they would meet again. Why did he have to do this every time? Sebastian shook his head, irritated that he was over-thinking this so much, but he couldn’t help it. He was usually a good judge of character, but he still found Claude impossible to read, and that annoyed him to no end. It meant that he couldn’t tell if all of this even meant anything to Claude or not; he could have just been doing this in an elaborate scheme to taunt Sebastian. But he could have sworn he had seen something in Claude’s eyes… or perhaps he had imagined it. Sebastian’s head was full to the brim with confusion, and he slowly lowered himself down so that he was sitting with his back against the tree, turning his crimson hues to look up into the sky. It was dull and grey, pale clouds smothering the sun’s light. Sebastian stared up at them, before pulling himself to his feet and walking back to the manor, eyes firmly fixed on the ground.

That evening, Sebastian was beyond restless. He kept glancing out of the windows as he walked by them, sometimes doing double-takes as he thought he had seen someone outside. He hadn’t. He even checked the shelf where he had found the spider yesterday, but of course, to no avail. Sebastian decided to just try and forget about Claude for the time being, but that proved to be a lot more difficult than he had thought. 

Ciel had noticed this strange behaviour, but he decided not to comment on it. As long as Sebastian was still serving him properly, he didn’t much care about what was occupying his butler’s mind. Sebastian was glad his master hadn’t asked, mainly because he couldn’t lie to him, and would be forced to tell him what was happening. The butler had a feeling Ciel already knew, anyway. He wouldn’t say anything unless he was ordered to. 

The light of the day faded, and soon it was night time. The nights dragged on for demons, as they did not require sleep. However, at this point Sebastian was seriously considering trying to sleep for a while, as it might have made the time pass quicker. But what exactly was it that Sebastian was waiting for? Was he just waiting for Claude to show himself again, or was it something more? Confirmation that the kiss had meant something to Claude? That shouldn’t have even mattered to Sebastian. Demons weren’t like humans, they didn’t do things based on emotions. They were supposed to be incapable of feeling things the way humans did. Yet here Sebastian was, worrying about something as simple as a kiss. He had slept with human women before to gain information, and the demon had cast them aside afterwards without a second thought. Why was a kiss with another demon affecting him like this? It was possible for demons to form bonds, but it was relatively rare, and Sebastian had never had any desire whatsoever to form a bond with anyone, least of all Claude. Perhaps this was all part of Claude’s sick little game, Sebastian thought bitterly. He told himself that he wouldn’t care if that was the case, but deep down, he knew that it would hurt him. Claude must have known this too. Sebastian stood by the window, idly watching the dark clouds slowly moving across the moon. Maybe it would have been easier if he really had killed Claude.

Hours passed. Long days. A whole tedious rainy week. The bruises and bite marks had faded from Sebastian’s neck, as demons could heal themselves with ease. Though the physical marks were gone, Sebastian felt as if Claude’s lips had stained him for good. Sebastian had been able to work relatively well, but his mind was still clouded with confusion, but more than that, frustration. Why did Claude always leave without a word? He seemed to enjoy leaving Sebastian standing there alone, looking and feeling like a fool. That was just Claude’s way. Taunting, sneering, manipulating. A true demon. Nevertheless, Sebastian planned to confront Claude about his habit of silently slipping away from him the next time he appeared. That was, if he ever decided to show his smug face again. 

The door creaked as Sebastian walked into his room, which was largely empty, apart from the bed, the desk and the wardrobe. Not that he ever really used the bed. His feet echoed on the floorboards as he slowly walked over to the bed, sitting down with a sigh. The master didn’t need anything at the moment, and Sebastian was, quite frankly, exhausted, as much as demons could be, anyway. He swung his long legs up onto the bed, settling his head down on the pillow. The demon lay on his side, blankly gazing across the room. Perhaps he would wake up any moment now, and Claude would turn out to just be a ridiculously elaborate dream. He doubted this, though. Sebastian’s ruby eyes slowly closed, and he took a deep, slow breath as he forced himself to relax, listening to the cold drops of rain crashing against his window. It was easy to see why humans found this sound so comforting, he thought as he drifted into a deep, dark, dreamless sleep. 

The sleeping demon did not wake up until several hours later, and when he did, he did not feel much better. The rain was still hammering against the window, which Sebastian now noticed was open. He eyed it in confusion; he had definitely not left it open. He sat up to go and investigate, when a familiar velvety voice softly whispered in his ear.

“Have you been missing me, my dear?”


	5. The thrill of the chase

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian finally confronts Claude about his confusing actions, then one thing leads to another...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to update! This chapter is a bit shorter, but I think it's a good thing for this one.

"Get out." Sebastian said coldly, as if the words were poison in his mouth, and walked over to the window with his back to the other demon. Claude stood in silence, briefly lowering his gaze to the floor as the sound of the rain seemed to fade away into the background. Finally, he spoke.

"Is that truly what you want?" he asked quietly, calmly, as if Sebastian's words hadn't hurt him at all. Sebastian glanced over at him, then turned his back again, unable to look the other demon in the eye. It was against his principles as a demon to lie, yet here he was, denying the fact that no matter how much he fought it, he desperately wanted Claude to stay. It was as if he had completely forgotten how opposed he was to liars. He was the very thing he despised. "Sebastian. Please answer me," Claude insisted, his voice still hushed and soft. To Sebastian, it seemed as if he were speaking from far away. Sebastian closed his eyes, refusing to turn and face him. He couldn't. If he did, Claude would know he was lying; he probably already did. 

"I..." Sebastian started, his pale hand clenching on the windowsill. Claude slowly tilted his head to the side, watching Sebastian more out of curiosity than confusion. A few more moments of silence passed, interrupted only by a clap of thunder, which went ignored. 

"Yes?" Claude prompted the smaller demon to continue. By now, Sebastian's hand was clenched so hard that he was trembling slightly. Claude opened his mouth to prompt him further, but Sebastian beat him to it. 

"I don't understand." More uncomfortable silence. It became clear that Claude was not going to respond unless Sebastian elaborated. Sebastian still did not face him. “I don’t understand why you’re playing this game with me. You appear out of nowhere, toy with me, then leave. Then you come back as if nothing has happened.” He soon gave in and turned to face Claude, his crimson eyes having lost their usual gentle composure, now practically burning. “Why?” he repeated, this time with more conviction. A soft chuckle escaped Claude’s lips, and Sebastian narrowed his eyes. This really was all a joke to him.

“Have you forgotten? This is what we demons do, Sebastian. Then again,” Claude briefly glanced around the room, a butler’s quarters that would usually be of no use to a demon, “you’ve spent rather a long time playing at being human.” The fire in Sebastian’s eyes died down for a moment. He was right. He had found humans so interesting, that he had spent little time around his own kind as of late. Claude must have sensed this, and continued. “Do you understand, Sebastian?” 

He swiftly walked over to him, his golden eyes fixing him with a piercing stare, one which Sebastian could not bring himself to look away from. Sebastian took a few steps back until he was standing with his back to the wall, and Claude seized the opportunity to pin him against it, the corners of his lips twitching upwards in a smirk as he leaned in close. “Love is a word that holds no meaning for demons, it is simply a word that humans throw around carelessly.” Sebastian nodded slowly, the anger in his eyes slowly being replaced with something else. “You see? Love is a concept invented by humans. What we have here is better, wouldn’t you agree?” 

Sebastian opened his mouth to speak, but Claude silenced him with one finger over his lips. “Come, now. Don’t pretend you aren’t enjoying this.” Again, he was right. This was more than Sebastian had felt for a while now in his long life as a demon, and despite his anger at feeling this way, it was true. Each time Claude left, Sebastian wanted him more. That was what he had intended from the start. Sebastian raised an eyebrow at Claude, unable to hold back a smirk.

“You talk too much,” he murmured against Claude’s lips. Claude hadn’t been planning to give in so easily, but now he couldn’t stop himself from kissing Sebastian deeply. Sebastian grinned in satisfaction; he had finally worn him down. The smaller demon slowly wrapped his arms around him, kissing back just as urgently as Claude pinned him harder against the wall, both letting out muffled sighs of pleasure. It hadn’t been that long since they had last touched like this, but for them, it felt like far too long. Their lips clashed together roughly, and Sebastian’s hands found their way into Claude’s dark hair, tugging lightly. This, as expected, caused him to groan softly into the kiss. To tease him further, Sebastian started to slowly grind his hips against Claude’s. Claude growled and nipped at his lip, before picking Sebastian up and unceremoniously dropping him onto the bed. 

From then on, everything was a blur, their clothes quickly being tossed aside in a mad scramble to be closer to one another. The sound of the rain now went completely ignored, and the walls of the room seemed to fade away in their insignificance. They could have been anywhere at all, and neither demon would have cared. All that mattered right now were the soft murmurs of each other’s names, the warmth of their heated skin pressed together, the sounds of their gasps harmonizing perfectly with every burning touch. The bed creaked in protest at their movements, but all the demons could hear were the whispers of sweet nothings and sighs of pleasure that they both let out. Sebastian closed his eyes, a small smile on his face. He was so used to manipulating humans in this way, but those could never compare to the touch of another demon. He half wished he had stopped fighting this feeling sooner, but that would have been too easy. The thrill of the chase was what he and Claude lived for.


End file.
